Mr Edwin Allotey Acquaye, Community Relations and Sustainability Manager, said it would continue to focus on helping to tackle felt-needs of the population. It would work closely work with community leaders and the district assembly to identify and implement projects to hasten the socio-economic progress of the area. Addressing a press conference held by the gold mining company at Ayanfuri, he vowed that it would keep to the commitments made to the people.

The press conference had been organized to debunk the report on some social media platforms that the new township built to resettle inhabitants of four communities affected by the mining operation, was shoddily done with many of the buildings, having already developed deep cracks  Added to this is also the claim of lack of basic social amenities - water, schools, sanitation facilities and poor drainage system, which is causing erosion in the new township.

Mr. Acquaye discounted the report, labeling it as “false” and a desperate attempt to take the shine off the US$30 million project that had given decent housing to people in the affected communities. He indicated that all minor structural defects, which came to the notice of the company, were reported to the contractors and these had been fixed.

The first class township has 201 residential and other buildings including schools, churches, police post, community centre, banks, water and sanitation facilities, good roads and proper drainage system. The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. John Peter Amewu, officially inaugurated it on January 24.

Mr. Acquaye stated that the township, situated on a 217 acre gentle slope of land, “stands out and has been appreciated by the people of Ayanfuri and the beneficiary communities”. He said through its Edikan Trust Fund, which had been attracting US$300,000.00 annually, PMGL remained on course to opening up the area and improve on the living conditions of the people.

Already, it had completed a number of projects - school buildings, teachers’ bungalows, Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds and aqua privy toilets at Ayanfuri, Abenabena, Fobinso, Gyaman and Nkonya.

It has also awarded scholarship to many students to assist them pursue academic careers.